too many words

I wrote this paragraph and I don't want to delete it, but it does not belong in the essay I'm currently composing, so I figured I'd post it here...

The Europeans were by far the more technologically advanced society when they came into contact with the natives of Western Africa and the Americas, which put the Europeans at an advantage in obtaining and maintaining cultural dominance in the face of such severe culture shock as these groups encountered. That the Europeans were, by the seventeenth century, actively out to colonize the world speaks to their imperial ambitions. And this empire-building enterprise was literally fueled by the technological prowess of the Europeans. Those technological innovations, in turn, created unique socio-cultural institutions that were peculiar to Europe at the time of the convergence of the Old, New, and African worlds.

why history?

Karl Marx noted that:

Man makes his own history, but he does not make it out of the whole cloth; he does not make it out of conditions chosen by himself, but out of such as he finds close at hand. The tradition of all past generations weighs like an alp upon the brain of the living. At the very time when men appear engaged in revolutionizing things and themselves, in bringing about what never was before, at such very epochs of revolutionary crises do they anxiously conjure up into their service the spirits of the past, assume their names, their battle cries, their costumes to enact a new historic scene in such time-honored disguise and with such borrowed language.

which seems quite apt. I've been thinking a lot lately about distinctions between disciplines and my motivation for choosing to pursue my studies in history when my interests rum the gamut of the humanities, from anthropology to sociology.

Marx's insight seemingly encapsulates the essence of the importance of studying history, and is certainly more eloquently stated than the plain fact of the matter: history matters to us all and inevitably influences the making of tomorrow's history.

undeniably feminist

For whatever reason, I began this blog with the intention of presenting myself in an androgynous way; to avail myself of the freedom offered by the web and experiment with my identity in the absence of gender constraints. While this remains an enticing possibility, I have determined that it must be set aside for a special project, one that is decidedly dedicated to investigating questions of gender and identity.

For the purposes of this blog, I now realize that I cannot stifle my femininity or my feminism; for better or for worse, gender has stamped its permanent mark upon my life experience and, consequently, my world view. If I am to be wholly myself on this blog and accurately transcribe my thoughts and experiences, I simply cannot skim over the fact of my gender and the ways that my life is shaped in this gendered world.

Thanks are owed to Robert Reich for helping me to come to this realization. And also to the cult of anti-feminism, exemplified by sites like this (and blogs like this and this), which I happened to stumble upon recently and which likewise inspired me to own up to my feminism and stand up in the blogosphere for human equality.

new semester angst

I've learned that I cannot take my chosen two political science classes as planned. Apparently, since I am enrolled through the history department, I must take at least one class there. And what with me only being able to take two classes at no cost, I must sacrifice one of the pol sci classes.

Alas, this will require serious consideration, as I had my heart set on them both...

PS 532: Blacks and the American Political System An assessment of the position of Blacks in the political system of the United States, both historical and contemporary, with special attention to alternative political strategies for the present political epoch. Special emphasis will be placed on urban political systems.

I lean towards this class because it would expand my understanding of the ways the law interacts with societal minorities, but I'm dissuaded by the "emphasis on urban political systems" aspect. Partly, that's because I'm not sure what that indicates: is it a focus on municipal political system, or an investigation into the unique legal mechanisms utilized in urban areas? Perhaps I ought to e-mail the Professor...

PS 535: Constitutional Law and Separation of Powers An analysis of leading Supreme Court decisions dealing with the use of and curbs upon federal powers to enact economic and social legislation with special attention to urban issues. Resolution of conflicts engendered by the federal system and separation of powers also will be studied.

This is the other class,and for some reason I just love the idea of a constitutional law class. I've also already talked to this Professor, and I like her. Then again, I could likely embark upon a course of independent readings and get as much out of it; surely she would be happy to guide me unofficially in such an endeavor.

And there I have it. After writing it through, I see the course of action that I should take in this regard. Yay for blogging!

The other consideration at hand is 'Which history class to take?' I've narrowed it down to three --

HIST 502: Contemporary Africa A study of the emergence of Africa since 1945 with emphasis on the role of nations of the continent in both regional and world affairs.

HIST 521: History of Women in America An examination of the problems, challenges and experiences of American women from the colonial period to the 21st century.

HIST 546: Historical Research A course designed to assist students, especially those completing a thesis, in honing both their research and writing competencies.

The only course I haven't already taken as an undergraduate is the Africa class. Generally I'm interested in Atlantic World studies, but more so in the slave trade era. And African diaspora and colonization studies are also quite interesting, but I'm not immediately drawn to the "since 1945" era. Then again, it is admittedly a time and place about which I am not very knowledgeable. And I will likely have to select a field off minor concentration for any of my Ph.D. programs, and I'm already well situated to do that with African and/or African-American studies, so I might be well served to take this class.

I have until next Thursday to make up my mind, so I'll be giving the matter all due consideration over the weekend.